Repeat Vice - The Villainous Noble Doesn't Want to Die, So He Swore to Not Die As One of The Four Heavenly Kings - Chapter 63: Epilogue - Skyfield

Chapter 63: Epilogue – Skyfield

The Demon King Rath.

The final boss of the first chapter of the story, commanding the Four Demon Beasts, a calamity that brings ruin to humanity.

In the story, the appearance of the Demon King Rath was that of a monstrous being.

Though his basic shape was somewhat humanoid, his body was covered in the impenetrable scales of a dragon, and bat-like wings extended from his back.

He resembled the demons of legend or the dragon-human hybrids known as Dragonkin.

The Demon King Rath was one of the calamities sealed away in ancient times.

He was resurrected in the first chapter of the story, and with the activation of “Catastrophe,” the world was plunged into darkness, and monsters across the continent became ferocious.

The white-haired girl claimed this notorious name.

Her appearance was nothing like the Demon King Rath from the story, but she mentioned the name “Shadow Wolf” and spoke as if she knew the details of the “story.”

By now, there was no doubt in Rofus’s mind that this white-haired girl was the Demon King Rath.

The white-haired girl was now desperately raising her hands, trying to show that she had no intention of fighting.

“Wait, stop! If I get hit by that spell, I’ll die! You understand, don’t you? I have almost no magic power left!”

The girl pleaded for her life with a desperate expression as Rofus pointed the blade of his Dark Scythe at her.

Was this really the Demon King?

Rofus felt his conviction wavering and lowered his scythe.

“You claim to be the Demon King Rath?”

Rofus frowned suspiciously and looked at the white-haired girl.

The magical detection revealed a power so small it was hard to believe she was the Demon King.

There were no signs of magic suppression or disguise spells being used.

The white-haired girl—Demon King Rath—breathed a sigh of relief as the spell aimed at her was lowered, but she kept her hands raised.

“Yes, I am Rath. My appearance is different because my revival came earlier than expected. I didn’t have the luxury of choosing a vessel or the time to strengthen it. As you can see, it’s a weak and fragile body.”

Rath, still keeping her hands up to show she was harmless, spun around to let Rofus see her body.

“If necessary, I can take off my clothes?”

“…Unnecessary.”

Rofus refused curtly, as Rath looked up at him coyly.

At the same time, a dark crystal soldier locked the door to the guest room behind Rofus.

Darkness extended from beneath Rofus’s feet, spreading to cover the entire guest room.

Rath trembled, her face stiffening.

“Ah… is this where I die?”

“Black Room, a dark attribute barrier. Nothing within this domain will ever escape.”

Hearing that the magic activated had no offensive intent, Rath exhaled in relief.

But dark crystal soldiers emerged from the darkened floor, surrounding Rath and pointing their swords at her.

“Don’t misunderstand. You die after spilling all the information.”

“Oh… so that’s how it is. Ruthless. Like a villain from the story—no, not just like one.”

Rath narrowed her eyes as if she had reached an understanding.

One of the soldiers pressed the tip of his sword to her neck.

“Stop babbling. Spill what you know.”

“But if I talk, you’ll kill me anyway. That’s not much of an incentive, is it?”

“If you don’t talk, I kill you now. Either way works for me.”

The blade pressed against Rath’s neck bit into her white skin, drawing blood.

Resigned, Rath sighed.

“Alright, I’ll tell you what I know. But before that, let me ask: why are you trying to kill me? Because I’m the Demon King? Because I’ll be humanity’s enemy in the future? But isn’t that the same for you? Right—Shadow Wolf Rofus.”

“Don’t call me by that distasteful name. It’s infuriating to be compared to you.”

Rath sighed and looked at Rofus with her jade eyes.

“You said I was mistaken earlier, but I’ll say the same to you. It’s you who are mistaken, Rofus Ray Lightless.”

“I told you to stop babbling. Never mind—go ahead.”

Rofus gave the cold order.

The dark soldiers raised their swords and swung them down at Rath simultaneously.

In her final moments, Rath continued speaking unfazed.

“—You are not a servant of the Six Gods.”

The descending blades halted.

Rofus had stopped them.

He glared at Rath silently, urging her to continue.

Rath smiled and spoke.

“You were involved with Riruka Skyfield, weren’t you? She clearly acted differently from the standard path. She was undoubtedly a servant of the Six Gods. Given that you were associated with her, you must have been told: ‘Rofus, who possesses knowledge of the future, you too are a servant of the Six Gods.’”

Rofus narrowed his eyes.

That was indeed true.

Rofus had heard about the existence of the Six Gods and their servants from Riruka.

But unlike Riruka, who was guided by the Wind God, Rofus had no contact with the Six Gods.

He had indeed questioned if he was truly a servant of the Six Gods.

Rath continued.

“Rofus, you and I are the same. Granted knowledge of the future, permitted a second chance—by the Dark God.”

“The Dark… God?”

“Yes. The blessing of knowledge of the future—there are others like us. It’s not just me and you. Others exist. You see, we’re not enemies. We’re allies who should join forces. Our true enemies are the servants of the Six Gods.”

Rath smiled and extended her hand.

Rofus stared at the offered hand.

It felt odd.

In a world destroyed by the Dark God, the Six Gods rewound time to prevent it.

They selected their servants to defeat the Dark God.

Would they really choose Rofus, who once turned against humanity, for such an important role?

When Riruka called him a servant of the Six Gods, there was a sense of incongruity.

The puzzle pieces that hadn’t fit now seemed to align with the information Rath provided.

Just as the Six Gods chose their servants, the Dark God chose villains.

As if in opposition.

Rofus wavered on whether to take Rath’s hand.

Sensing his hesitation, Rath quietly withdrew her hand.

“I extended my hand on impulse, but I didn’t come here to recruit you.”

“What…?”

What was the point of this entire conversation then?

Rath shrugged at Rofus’s frown.

“You should understand by now, right? This is a proxy war between the Six Gods and the Dark God. We and the servants of the Six Gods are caught up in their conflict. Isn’t it absurd?”

“…So, what are you saying? Why did you come to me?”

At Rofus’s question, Rath gave a meaningful smile.

Then she placed her hands on the floor and bowed her head.

It was the position known as “dogeza.”

As Rofus looked down in bewilderment, Rath spoke while still bowing.

“Please take me under your protection. I’m begging you.”

Rofus looked down at Rath in a bowing posture with a look of pity.

＊

The Demon King Rath knew from future knowledge that the Four Demon Beasts wouldn’t be enough to deal with Abel and the protagonist’s forces.

Hence, he switched from dispersing his power to concentrating it.

This led to the creation of the demonic sea whale—Krishna.

The demonic whale Krishna, enhanced with Rath’s immense magical power, was his greatest masterpiece.

It was supposed to invade the kingdom soon and destroy humanity along with the still-developing Abel and his group.

But Krishna was defeated by Rofus.

After the plan to invade the kingdom with Krishna failed, Rath targeted the flying city of Ciel Parc, which roamed the skies.

He poured almost all of his remaining magic into the giant griffin, Despia, which resided there.

Although not as great as the masterpiece Krishna, Despia had the potential to become stronger if nurtured.

After two years of hiding in the flying city, Despia became a monster on par with Krishna.

But then, out of nowhere, Rofus appeared in the flying city and destroyed Despia.

Once again, by Rofus.

By this time, Rath had lost almost all of his magic and no longer had the power to fight.

The magic used to enhance Krishna and Despia was unrecoverable.

It wasn’t just the consumption of magic for casting spells but rather the splitting of his total magic power and giving it to the monsters.

In essence, Rath had lost his fighting power forever.

At this point, Rath gave up on destroying humanity.

This was the story Rath told Rofus while in the dogeza posture.

“…So, that’s how it is. I don’t know what grudge you hold, but please stop pursuing me any further. Seriously.”

Rath, with slightly teary eyes, said this.

With his current appearance as a girl, Rofus felt as if he was bullying someone weak.

Rofus had defeated the demonic whale Krishna and Despia, but it was all by chance.

He never intended to do so, but from Rath’s perspective, his plans were completely thwarted, and he even lost the power to fight.

Indeed, Rath had so little magic that he couldn’t even cast low-level spells.

It seemed true that he had no power left to fight.

“So, you want my protection because you can’t fight anymore?”

“To begin with, I’m in this state because of you. You need to take responsibility.”

“Like I care. Just die quietly.”

The surrounding dark soldiers pointed their swords at Rath again.

Rath panicked.

“Wait, wait, wait! What can I do to be saved? I’ll do anything. Oh, how about being your companion for the night? You were close with Riruka weren’t you? My current body is similar to hers in shape—”

Immediately, half of the guest room, along with the Black Room, was blown away by a black slash from Rofus’s Dark Scythe.

As the barrier shattered and sunlight poured in, Rath collapsed.

Rofus looked down at him coldly.

“If you utter another worthless thing, I’ll kill you. If you displease me, I’ll kill you. I will personally ensure your death.”

“…Understood. So you don’t like that kind of talk. I’ll remember that. But please understand just this. I don’t want to be brutally killed by Abel and his group. I just don’t want to die. You understand this feeling, don’t you?”

“…”

At Rath’s earnest plea, Rofus fell silent for a moment and lowered his scythe.

Not wanting to be killed was a feeling Rofus could empathize with, having experienced countless deaths himself.

As Rofus stared at Rath, the guest room door, which had been locked, was sliced into numerous sharp lines and immediately fell apart.

Carlos, the butler, rushed in with a drawn rapier.

“Are you safe, Master Rofus?”

“No problem.”

Carlos had hurried over, likely reacting to the destruction of the barrier magic that had surrounded the guest room. Rofus dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

Rofus clicked his tongue in frustration and glared at the collapsed Rath.

“For now, I won’t kill you. You’ll tell me everything you know.”

“Of course.”

Rath smiled with relief.

＊

Night, at the villa.

In Rofus’s office, the demon king Rath, now wearing a neat one-piece dress, stood.

Having just bathed, Rath’s white hair was still damp.

The black robe he had worn upon arriving at the mansion was old and noticeably dirty, so it was being washed.

“Wow, I can’t believe I got to enjoy both a bath and a meal. It’s the first time since I got this body. I wasn’t originally human, so I don’t actually need food. But both meals and baths can be quite enjoyable as luxuries. I can’t thank you enough. By the way, can I use that large bath again?”

“I didn’t call you here to chat.”

Rath, who kept talking about the bath and food, was cut off by Rofus’s irritated remark.

Rath blinked and gave a wry smile.

“Ah, sorry. The food was so delicious, and that big bath was amazing. Anyway, you wanted information, right? I’ll tell you everything I know. After all, you did take me in.”

Rath narrowed his eyes and continued.

“That said, I don’t have that much information. What I do know is that this rewound world is a stage for the rematch between the Six Gods and the Dark God, and we are victims caught up in it.”

“A rematch?”

“In the original timeline, both the Six Gods and the Dark God were unsatisfied. The Six Gods couldn’t prevent the world’s destruction, and the Dark God was killed right after his resurrection.”

“So the Six Gods rewound time, and the Dark God is now aiming for a complete victory.”

“Hmm? No, no, that’s not it, Rofus.”

Rath shook his head at Rofus’s interpretation.

“I don’t know what you heard from Rilka Skyfield, the apostle of the Six Gods, but the premise is wrong. The world was rewound by both the Six Gods and the Dark God together.”

“…What?”

Rofus’s eyes widened.

“The Six Gods and the Dark God are supposed to be enemies.”

“That’s right, they are at odds. But this time, their interests aligned. Neither the Six Gods nor the Dark God was satisfied with the original outcome.”

Rath shrugged.

“The Six Gods alone couldn’t rewind the world. They didn’t have that kind of power. In fact, it was the Dark God who originally wanted to restart the world, and the Six Gods went along with it.”

“That’s quite different from what I’ve heard.”

“Don’t trust everything the Six Gods say.”

“Even if it’s you, on the Dark God’s side, saying it?”

Rath chuckled at Rofus’s skeptical look.

“You’ll have to trust me on this. It’s true I’m on the Dark God’s side in this proxy war of the gods, but I’ve stepped back from the battle. I don’t have the power to fight anymore.”

Rath added with a sigh.

“I don’t want to die either. I have no particular loyalty to the Dark God.”

After a brief pause, Rath spoke again.

“That’s all the information I have. I hope it was satisfactory.”

“Hmm, I understand. There are no contradictions so far.”

“You’re cautious. But that’s like you.”

Having heard Rath’s story, Rofus extended his left arm—his prosthetic arm—to Rath.

“Now, undo the curse.”

“…Curse?”

Rath tilted his head in confusion, and Rofus’s eyes narrowed with irritation.

“Don’t play dumb. The injury from the magic whale—Krishna, was it? The wound is overflowing with magic like a curse and won’t heal with magic. My left arm and left eye. The source of the curse is you, isn’t it?”

Rath shook his head, looking troubled.

“…No, it’s not me.”

“Don’t play dumb.”

“I’m serious. I don’t have the magic power to cast a curse right now.”

“Then, what is…”

Rath observed Rofus’s jade-colored left eye and left arm closely.

“There are multiple layers of advanced sealing techniques. The curse itself… Hmm, this is—”

Rath’s eyes widened in slight surprise as he examined the curse.

“This isn’t a human curse. Most likely, it’s a curse from something like a god.”

“A god?”

“Krishna was originally a water divine beast before I enhanced it with my magic. Divine beings can’t be destroyed even if they are killed. Rofus, or rather, you might have been cursed by killing the divine beast.”

Those who kill a divine beast are said to bring calamity upon themselves.

This is, in other words, divine punishment.

This has been a saying since ancient times.

There’s even a tale in the kingdom’s folklore about a man who killed a divine beast out of greed and met a tragic end.

Rofus narrowed his eyes.

“Then, this curse cannot be lifted?”

“That’s right. I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do.”

“…I see.”

Rofus lowered his eyes slightly, looking disappointed. Rath apologized again, feeling sympathetic.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. If it can’t be healed, it can’t be helped. Demanding the impossible is the act of a third-rate person.”

Rofus lifted his head, switching gears, and looked at Rath.

“Leave now. There’s a vacant room prepared for you tonight. I’ll think about your future from now on.”

“Thank you, Rofus. I made the right choice seeking your protection, even though I can’t fight anymore.”

Rath turned on his heel and walked lightly toward the door.

As he placed his hand on the door handle, he turned around as if remembering something and looked at Rofus.

“Oh, I forgot to mention.”

“…What is it?”

“The reason I created the magic whale Krishna. The first thing I did after gaining knowledge of the future was create the Leopard King Umbra.”

“Umbra?”

A giant leopard-like monster, the Leopard King Umbra, is one of the four demon beasts created by the Demon King.

Rath continued.

“The habitat of the original monster was closest to Abel’s hometown.”

Abel’s hometown, a rural farming village called Carot.

Before entering the academy, Abel lived in that remote village.

If attacked by one of the four demon beasts, the village would suffer enormous damage.

“Did you send it to attack?”

“Well, yes. If I kill Abel, I won’t die. It’s natural to nip the bud before he grows stronger. It’s the optimal solution.”

“And did you kill him?”

Rofus squinted and urged Rath to continue.

Rath shook his head and denied it.

“He died—the Leopard King Umbra I sent was killed by Abel.”

“…What?”

Rofus frowned, as if to say, “What nonsense.”

Rath shrugged.

“So I gathered my strength and created an even stronger monster—Krishna. All to kill Abel. Well, now it’s in the past.”

With a sigh, Rath dropped his shoulders and looked at Rofus.

“Listen, Rofus. Abel Carot is undoubtedly an apostle of the Six Gods. And he had his future self’s full power. It wasn’t just future knowledge or memories. I could tell through Umbra; it was unmistakable.”

“Abel… him…”

At the moment Rofus strongly acknowledged Abel’s existence, an immense feeling of hatred welled up inside him.

The pitch-black dark magic further darkened Rofus’s eyes.

“No matter what power he holds, it doesn’t matter. If he can become my enemy, I’ll crush him with an even stronger power.”

“…That’s reassuring. In this proxy war of the gods, whether you side with the Six Gods or the Dark God, I’ll side with you as long as you protect me.”

The demon king Rath smiled eerily.

“The exciting academy life is about to begin. Show me your choices.”

Rath’s words did not reach Rofus, burning with hatred. 

—End of Chapter 3 “EP Skyfield”—